Shels game

A biggie tomorrow. Shels off the back of a 7-0 win, but Mervue lost 5-1 at home to Monaghan the previous game. Our form's been poor compared to the start of the season - eight points from the five five games of round 2 compared to 15 in round 1 - but I think that's at least half down to the other clubs pulling themselves together (Harps are unbeaten in five, Limerick have appointed Pat Scully, Monaghan have six wins in their last nine, Kildare are clearly improving and we were the better team against Waterford and Feckall). Shels have lost Madden, but it looks like they mightn't miss him as much as you'd have thought (before Mervue, only himself and Flood had scored more than once).

Will take a draw. A defeat and there's a gap at the top for the first time. Waterford and Fungus might well slip up against Harps and Monaghan, but don't want to be relying on it.

Kevin Doherty suspended, that'll be a big loss for them

He's probably injured too though.

They've signed Georghescu again; presumably he's free to play tomorrow, although he mayn't be match fit.

Well, that was a load of poo. Filthy dirty team Shels are. Ref never had control of the game, and Hilda's calls were baffling. Given the player who crossed the ball and who tapped home were the same distance out form the goalline, he couldn't possibly have been offside. Finny was stupid, we should never have left that cross run the whole way across goal, but at least after the red card, we played the best we've done for a few weeks, and without Finny too.

Still think - as I've done since day one - that we're not good enough to go up this season, but I think with a couple of extra players next season, and a season's experience, we should be in a very strong position to go up next season.

Will be interesting to see how Wexford set themselves up with Finn not being there. In the home game, it was pretty much based around stopping him. Ward did well when he came on, but lacks a little discipline in his play at times!